Neocons (or “neo-republicans”) are simply the democrats of 20 years ago.
Modern republican policies have shifted far left just the same as the democrats have gone even further left. This means both parties are moving more toward socialism.
Which will result in future problems for the people who are more conservative/libertarian minded. We’re losing our parties and our political standing ground.
Just look at these shifts in the political parties positions over time:
Modern Republicans Are The Democrats of 20 Years Ago
Immigration
Democrats used to be against immigration… when it was first thought that immigrants would lean conservative. In 1996, Bill Clinton (Democrat) signed the harshest immigration bill in decades.
Bill Clinton also received a standing ovation for tough talk on illegals. Even glorious leader Obama called for putting illegals “behind the folks tying to come here legally”.
Hell, even in 2006, democrats wanted to build the wall they hate so much now.
On the contrary, President Reagan (republican) desired increased immigration during his tenure. Along with amnesty for 2.9 million illegals.
Now that immigration works in the the democrats favor, they flipped. As did republicans.
Environment
Democrats tend to be the “champions of the environment” nowadays. Most mainstream republicans don’t seem to care much about the environment overall. We’ve seen this with the selling of federally protected land and de-regulation of environmental protections. Along with the low ranking by the Republicans on climate questionnaires.
I’m an eco-nationalist, so I tend to side more with the left on this than the right. But left wingers take it a bit far.
But guess who started the environmental movement in the US?
Republican President Richard Nixon did when he created the Environmental Protection Agency. Republicans were noted for:
- requesting four billion dollars for the improvement of water treatment facilities;
- asking for national air quality standards and stringent guidelines to lower motor vehicle emissions;
- launching federally-funded research to reduce automobile pollution;
- ordering a clean-up of federal facilities that had fouled air and water;
- seeking legislation to end the dumping of wastes into the Great Lakes;
- proposing a tax on lead additives in gasoline;
- forwarding to Congress a plan to tighten safeguards on the seaborne transportation of oil; and
- approving a National Contingency Plan for the treatment of oil spills.
Republican leaders during that time also signed into law the National Environmental Policy Act which is still used to this day as a main regulatory force.
That time period under Republican leadership ushered in what was called the “environmental decade” in the United States.
This policy attitude did change with Republican Ronald Reagan. But true national conservation (environmentalism) started with the R ticket. Because in practice, what is more conservative than wanting to conserve your nations beauty?
Abortion
Decades ago in the 1970’s our countries views on abortion didn’t break down along party lines.
Republican President Gerald Ford opposed Roe v. Wade. However, first lady Betty Ford was an abortion-rights supporter. Even further, Nelson Rockefeller (Vice President) presided over the repeal of abortion restrictions in New York state.
In Congress, Republicans voted against abortion at about the same rate as Democrats.
The Republicans were much more libertarian-minded back then, rather than conservative. For better or worse. (In this case, worse.)
LGBT
It’s true, there wasn’t much of an LGBT movement 20 years ago as compared to today. There were small movements just gaining momentum.
However, feelings toward this by Republicans (and Americans in general) has completely flipped.
In Pew Research Center polling in 2004, Americans opposed same-sex marriage by a margin of 60% to 31%.
Based on polling in 2019, a majority of Americans (61%) support same-sex marriage, while 31% oppose it.
Complete flip of the numbers in only 15 years.
While republicans used to be rather opposed to LGBT, Trump is the most gay friendly Republican president ever. One could even say the most gay friendly president, ever.
Democrats weren’t far off historically.
The Defense of Marriage Act, signed by Bill Clinton, allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages legally established in other states. It previously prevented the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriages, until the Supreme Court ruled that provision unconstitutional in 2013.
In 2004, Obama even opposed same sex marriage.
While democrats have done a complete 180, republicans are trailing behind and slowly becoming more adoptive with LGBT and transgender issues.
Education
Democratic president Jimmy Carter formally created the US Department of Education in 1979. It was around prior to then as a mixup of small offices and mingled with other agencies.
Throughout most of US history, Republicans opposed a department of education. Opting instead to put education in the hands of local areas and states. Reagan even ran on a platform to eliminate it entirely but got curtailed with the house of representatives.
This changed when George H. W. Bush was elected in 1988. Then the Republican position was in lockstep with the democrats. Education expense soared. Even the famous No Child Left Behind Act, a major Department of Education undertaking, was by George W. Bush and republican sponsored.
The democrats have been relatively consistent with education over time. Republicans have changed to utilizing the department for our own benefit instead of elimination, as originally intended from a constitutional standpoint. For a party so opposed to pointless federal agencies, we seem to support them heavily nowadays.
War
Republicans of the past were far more non-interventionist. Since the Bush’s, we’ve been in perpetual war.
Even the democrats, who were historically anti-war, stayed on board during Obama’s presidency.
During the 2016 election campaign Donald Trump campaigned on a policy of non-intervention whereas Hillary Clinton hawked Russia.
Granted, Trump still hasn’t withdrawn from the middle east. But at least he hasn’t continued to increase it in size or scope.
We’re consistent as a nation that we are now pro-intervention. But this is not historic consistency.
Drugs
Need I say more?
Again, it’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is a clear trend away from the conservative position of not being a drug user.
National Debt
Republicans used to at least fake being in favor of debt reduction.
Democrats previously held the record for massive increases in the national debt. Franklin Roosevelt had a 1,048% increase over the previous budget. Democrat Woodrow Wilson had a 727% increase. Republicans were relatively smaller during that time. Some republicans such as Warren Harding reduced the deficit (by –7%). Same with Republican Calvin Coolidge (-5%).
Compare to now: George W. Bush had an over 100% increase. Ronald Reagan had a 186% increase. Compared to Democrats Bill Clinton at 32% and Obama at 74%.
None of these in the modern era are “good”. But Republicans in recent memories have actually fared worse than Democrats on the debt.
What circus world are we in?
Trade
Prior to Reagan, Republicans were largely protectionist. After him and the Bush duo, “Republican” became synonymous with ‘Free Trade’.
Trump is moving the party back to an “America First” policy, however. So I can’t talk too much smack here. But Repubs did perform a massive shift away from pro-American trade to pro-globalist trade in the past decades.
Socialism
Republicans historically resisted socialism.
Now, most Republicans politicians are in favor of socialist policies such as social security, school loans, medicare, and medicaid.
Good luck with your anti-redistribution of wealth rhetoric while supporting social security redistribution of wealth. The state and local governments already spend most of their (your) money on welfare.
Again, this just shows that the policies that previous Republicans would freak out over have become so normative that modern Republicans don’t even consider them an issue. We’ve moved further left.
One could also say the same thing about taxes on the wealthiest. Republicans tend to be opposed to high tax rates for the wealthy. Historically, Republicans were more opposed to high tax rates to the middle class, instead. They voted in favor of high tax rates for the most wealthy many times:
Taxing elites is not going to kill us all.
Degeneracy
More and more Republicans are starting to fall into the degenerate sphere.
We’ve lost so many of our other policies and platforms, it’s no surprise that we’re becoming more degenerate as well.
Sadly, we move with society. And society is going further off the deep end.
Cycle
We have moved further along the cycle. Each civilization goes from capitalist to socialist over time. We’ve just witnessed a massive push further to socialism in the recent decades.
Republican platform positions directly reflect that movement.
Click to see the cycle of collapse diagram.
Conservatives “conserve” a part of the cycle until pushed too far. Then they relocate closer to socialism. Prior policies that would never be considered become normal. The goal post moves.
We are edging closer to full-fledge socialism.
After that?
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